Image forming apparatus, control method for image forming apparatus, and storage medium having a firmware update function

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an update unit configured to execute firmware update processing, a storage unit configured to store information relating to a change in a setting value of the image forming apparatus produced by the firmware update processing, a selection unit configured to select a specific update history entry from a firmware update history, and a display unit configured to display information relating to the change in the setting value produced by the firmware update processing corresponding to the specific update history entry selected by the selection unit based on the information stored in the storage unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image forming apparatus capable of performing printing comprising:
 an update unit configured to execute firmware update processing; 
 a generating unit configured to generate, in a case where the update unit executes the firmware update processing, setting difference information indicating a setting item added by the firmware update processing, a setting item deleted by the firmware update processing, a setting value of a setting item, which is changed by the firmware update processing, before the firmware update processing, and a setting value of the setting item, which is changed by the firmware update processing, after firmware update processing; 
 a storage unit configured to store the setting difference information generated by the generating unit in association with an update history; 
 a display unit configured to display a firmware update processing history screen; and 
 a determining unit configured to determine whether the firmware update processing has been successfully executed, 
 wherein, in a case where a user selects a specific update history from among a plurality of update histories in the firmware update processing history screen, the display unit displays, based on the setting difference information corresponding to the specific update history, a setting item added by the firmware update processing indicated by the specific update history, a setting item deleted by the firmware update processing indicated by the specific update history, a setting value of a setting item, which is changed by the firmware update processing indicated by the specific update history, before the firmware update processing, and a setting value of the setting item, which is changed by the firmware update processing indicated by the specific update history, after firmware update processing, 
 wherein, in a case where the determining unit determines that the firmware update processing has been successfully executed, the generating unit generates the setting difference information, and 
 wherein, in a case where the determining unit determines that the firmware update processing has not been successfully executed, the generating unit creates a firmware update history entry indicating update failure and the display unit displays an error message. 
 
     
     
       2. A method for controlling an image forming apparatus capable of performing printing, the method comprising:
 executing firmware update processing; 
 generating, in a case where executing step executes the firmware update processing, setting difference information indicating a setting item added by the firmware update processing, a setting item deleted by the firmware update processing, a setting value of a setting item, which is changed by the firmware update processing, before the firmware update processing, and a setting value of the setting item, which is changed by the firmware update processing, after firmware update processing; 
 storing the setting difference information generated by the generating step in association with an update history; 
 displaying a firmware update processing history screen; and 
 determining whether the firmware update processing has been successfully executed, 
 wherein, in a case where a user selects a specific update history from among a plurality of update histories in the firmware update processing history screen, the displaying step, based on the setting difference information corresponding to the specific update history, a setting item added by the firmware update processing indicated by the specific update history, a setting item deleted by the firmware update processing indicated by the specific update history, a setting value of a setting item, which is changed by the firmware update processing indicated by the specific update history, before the firmware update processing, and a setting value of the setting item, which is changed by the firmware update processing indicated by the specific update history, after firmware update processing, 
 wherein, in a case where the determining unit determines that the firmware update processing has been successfully executed, the generating unit generates the setting difference information, and 
 wherein, in a case where the determining unit determines that the firmware update processing has not been successfully executed, the generating unit creates a firmware update history entry indicating update failure and the display unit displays an error message. 
 
     
     
       3. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the method according to  claim 2 . 
     
     
       4. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in the case where the user selects the specific update history from among the plurality of update histories in the firmware update processing history screen, the display unit displays a setting difference screen including a first tab for displaying the setting item added by the firmware update processing indicated by the specific update history, a second tab for displaying the setting item deleted by the firmware update processing indicated by the specific update history, and a third tab for displaying the setting item changed by the firmware update processing indicated by the specific update history, and in the setting difference screen, a setting item added by the firmware update processing indicated by the specific update history, a setting item deleted by the firmware update processing indicated by the specific update history, a setting value of a setting item, which is changed by the firmware update processing indicated by the specific update history, before the firmware update processing, and a setting value of the setting item, which is changed by the firmware update processing indicated by the specific update history, after firmware update processing are displayed. 
 
     
     
       5. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein, in the setting difference screen, a change object for returning a setting value of a setting item changed by the firmware update processing to a setting value before the firmware update processing is displayed. 
 
     
     
       6. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, in the firmware update processing history screen, a time and date when the firmware update processing is executed is displayed. 
 
     
     
       7. The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the setting difference information generated by the generating unit is in XML format.